TUES PM: Tributes to Dewsbury swine flu girl
A community expressed its sadness today following the death of a nine-year-old girl after she contracted swine flu.
Asmaa Hussain is one of two people from Dewsbury who have died in the past few days after catching the illness.
But health officials have stressed both her and a man in his 40s, understood to be teacher Abdullah Patel, both had "underlying health issues" and it was not known at this stage what role, if any, the illness had in their deaths.
Asmaa had epilepsy and her family has said she died following a fit. Now they are waiting to see whether a postmortem examination will reveal whether swine flue played any part.
Today, her school - Thornhill Junior & Infant School - issued a statement which said: "Everyone connected with the school is deeply saddened by the death of one of our pupils.
"It is important to stress that the young girl had serious underlying health problems and there is no confirmation whether or not swine flu was the cause of death, but this does not make the circumstances any less tragic.
"The thoughts of the school and wider community are with her family and we are doing all we can to support them at this extremely difficult time."
Community leaders also spoke of their sadness at Asmaa’s death.
Mr Haji Mohammed Younis Chaudary, chairman of the mosque near the little girl’s home, said: "The whole Muslim Community attending Gulzar-E-Medina Mosque wishes to express its sincerest sadness and condolences to the family of Asmaa Hussain.
"We would like to let the family know the mosque community at Gulzar-E-Medina Muslim place of worship is ready to offer all its support during what will obviously be a very difficult time for the family."
Senior Muslim scholar Mufti Shams-Ul-Huda Khan Misbahi, representing the Sunni Muslim Community in Kirklees issued a statement which said: "I am deeply shocked and saddened to hear the news of Asmaa Hussain’s death.
"My thoughts are with the family at this difficult time for them."
Asmaa’s family said she had been in and out of hospital during her life with her epilepsy.
Her uncle, Ghulam Rasoo, said she had a fit and died on Thursday.
Mr Rasoo said his niece was a "normal little girl" who had epilepsy since birth but had been much better in recent years.
He said a doctor had diagnosed flu symptoms and prescribed the anti-viral Tamiflu but she died before taking it.
Asmaa’s father Merban Hussain reportedly died from a heart attack two months ago.
Now her family is waiting for a postmortem examination to take place to find out the exact cause of her death.
Mr Patel is reported to be a teacher at the Institute of Islamic Education - an independent boarding school next to the main mosque in the Savile Town area of Dewsbury.
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